Story time: The teachings of nature
A story I wrote about what would happen if Teemo met Ivern before his release.
Deep in the Kumungu jungle, a lone yordle scout was gathering his monthly dose of shrooms and poison in order to stay fit for the Rift matches. With recent buffs on him, it was hard for him to keep up. He was once barely played and now he shows up once in a while. And this time it's mostly for serious gameplay and not to be controlled by a summoner who makes him run to the enemy tower out of spite against him or his team. He felt a bit proud that he's being put into tought if it wasn't the fact that the hatred upon him still lingers. He wished that people could just see him for what he is and not for what they think... One day... Teemo tought...
As he walked back to Bandle with his monthly pick up in his backpack, he stopped as he heard the leaves rustling, he dropped the bag and armed himself. He didn't have time to prepare the poison, so he had to go with tranquilizing darts for this run. Then, a squirrel came out, but he was rushing, he raised an eyebrow untill a two headed wolf popped out of the bush. The wolf was trying to catch the squirrel. Teemo didn't like the idea of brutal creatures chasing on the weak and helpless, so he shot a dart against the wolf, putting it to sleep. The squirrel got away.
"Live on... Because if I don't help you... Nobody will..." He said, he hated to admit it, but in his life, he was always self reliant to survive, sometimes he'd help others, but very little would repay said favor. Seeing the squirrel walk away, he didn't notice the wolf glowing. Once he turned to face him, it woke up and started growling at Teemo, causing him to back away. "Ergh... Morning?" He said with a weak smile before making a run for it, the wolf and it's two heads on his tail! He tried his best to dodge left and right before he slid into a hollow tree trunk with no way out. He sat there, taking his breath as the wolf tried to reach for him.
Teemo thought he was going to be sitting there for hours as the wolf looked persistant, but a voice from outside called the wolf's attention.
"Now now, you know the rules. If you take longer than needed for the meal, your children will get worried! Leave the poor yordle alone, please."
Hearing that, the wolf backed off and walked away, Teemo waited about a while before climbing out of the tree trunk, looking around with his blowgun at hand. "Uh... Thanks? Where you at?"
"I'm here!" The voice responded.
"Where?" Teemo replied.
"Behind you." He finished.
Teemo turned around, but instead of the tree trunk he hit in, he found a couple of stalks, going upwards. He slowly looked up at the source of the voice and saw... A tree... With a face... Arms... What would be a tall human, but as a tree instead. "Uh... This is new..."
"Yes, I get that alot. What were you doing to the poor wolf?" The tree responded.
"Poor? He's the bad guy here, chasing after the squirrel!" The yordle retorted, not happy with the tree's accusations.
"So, you were chased by the wolf..."
"Yes!"
"That got mad because you put him to sleep..."
"Yes!"
"Because he was chasing a squirrel..."
"Yes."
"Because all he wanted was to hunt for food..."
"Y..."
Teemo suddenly realized that the tree was right. He felt guilty now as he looked up at it. It just chuckled, amuzed by Teemo's way of thinking before crouching down to meet his face.
"The name is Ivern, I'm the green father, or what some people would call it, "father nature" if you think about it. I watch over all species of animals of all sorts of forests and jungles. I'm also going to be a new champion in the Rift in a matter of days too. Ain't that exciting?"
Teemo just stared up at him, then rubbed the back of his head. (He doesn't know...) "S-sure... That's good, I think... That means I'll be seeing you often there?"
Ivern nods with a smile. "You know it! Come on, I want to teach you a little lesson for today." He gets back up and starts walking, each step just gentle and carefull. Teemo follows along, unsure what's gonna happen.
Later soon, they reach a bush that Ivern creates, Teemo is a bit surprised by said bush as it was an entire new mechanic for him. (Hmm, this could come in handy if he's on my team.) Ivern walked inside of it, Teemo followed.
"Now don't make a noise and watch..." The green father pulls some leaves aside for Teemo to peek out. He does so, wondering what is he looking for. It was the same two headed wolf from before, except this time, he was catching a rabbit. Teemo felt a bit anxious as he wanted to help the rabbit, but he knew he shouldn't... He looks up at Ivern, just to be greeted with a smile and a hand on his shoulder, asking him to relax and watch. The yordle looked back just to catch the wolf biting the rabbit on his neck, effectively killing it. Teemo looked to the side, a bit disgusted at such a poor creature meeting such a death. The wolf starts walking and thus Ivern followed, making Teemo follow him as well.
Ivern set up a new bush for both to enter, once they did, Teemo peeked out, still seeing the two headed wolf carrying the bleeding dead rabbit. He was hoping that he wasn't trying to show some terrible lesson like that murder is alright, untill he saw two smaller wolfs, these only had one head and they came out of some cave, looking happy at the two headed one. The bigger one dropped the rabbit for the smaller ones to start digging in, then that's where it hit Teemo... Ivern seemed to notice his comprehension as well.
"Altough I dislike murder of wildlife, in the end it is a part of life. The death of some beings brings the life of others. That's why that wolf was mad at you. You denied her younglings the oportunity to live on and later let them grown up and live their lives... Just like your parents would do the same to you... Well, minus the hunting, knowing Bandle..."
Teemo just stared at the wolf family, smiling. But then he lost his smile. "But does that mean that I shouldn't bother to protect the weak? Are we little fellas just meant to be used for sustain of bigger beings? I just don't like the idea that people like me aren't meant to be part of anything bigger..." He felt a bit depressed thinking that yordles were nothing but weak meat for both vicious summoners that brought hatred onto the Rift or other nations who would never see them taken serious.
"Not at all, even the smaller creatures can live on, but where they lack in strenght and size, they make up in speed and cunning. You yordles deserve to live as much as the humans, you just have to be smart about it and remember, both sides deserve victory and defeat... It's up to you to defend your people, as it's theirs to defend theirs. In the end, the strongest and the most willing will live on." He finished with a smile, happy to be able to have someone to talk to today.
Teemo looked back at Ivern, deep down, he felt relieved to know his way of thinking... But one thing bothered him, so he looked even more terrible. The talking tree noticed it and asked. "What's the matter, little yordle?"
The yordle captain gave a deep sigh before turning to Ivern. "You shouldn't be a champion of the Rift..."
He blinked. "Why is that?"
"Because you're nice! In the Rift, everyone is mean to each other and make us do things that wouldn't be worthy of a battlefield scenario. Braum joined us months ago, he was the nicest guy possible, now he barely tries to be happy, I once saw him alone with the poros, feeling sad about how he's being treated!" Teemo turns to Ivern, holding his leg. "Just call it off! Don't come into the Rift! They'll just chew you out and spit you out, over and over and over again! Everyday people want to see me burn for crimes I didn't commit on my own, but for crimes commited by the summoners! I'll never have a proper reputation ever again, but you can still avoid all of this, just please... Don't come... The world needs you happy as you are!" He started to cry, the yordle genuinely cared about the green father.
He just sighed as he patted his head. "Just proves that I must... It means that I have alot of lessons to teach to these summoners and in hopes they will listen and learn, just like you can... If I must endure the pain of mankind, then I shall do it. For the better and for our future. I appreciate your worry, little yordle, but I'm afraid it's too late to change my mind. They already saw what I can do and they accepted me. And once you're in, you're never away... But I will never forget your worry in every match I see. And if we meet as allies, I'm sure you'll protect me. And if we're against each other, I'll forgive you and I'm sure you'll forgive me as well."
Teemo sighed, but smiled weakly. "In that case, welcome to the League..."
They shook hands before they parted ways. Ivern was going to be quite a change in the game. Question is... How far would be become to survive and thrive?